La Crosse Seed

What La Crosse Seed does

La Crosse Seed is a U.S. seed distribution company operating as the U.S. distribution division of DLF, a Denmark-headquartered global seed company. Founded in 1919 and employing 101-250 staff, La Crosse Seed functions as DLF's primary U.S. distribution brand, holding a stated industry-leader position in the non-row crop seed category. It sells forage, turf, cover crop, food plot, native, and reclamation seeds to retailers, co-ops, municipalities, landscapers, property managers, farmers, and homeowners across the United States.

The company's product portfolio is organized across four categories — Forage (grasses, legumes, alfalfa under brands such as Forage First, 5 Series, Alforex, Summer Select), Turf (Earth Carpet, 4turf, A-LIST, Microclover), Wildlife & Conservation (Soil First, Deer Creek Seed), and Farm & Home (X-Seed, ForageMax, Mastergreen, 4Most). The underlying technology comes from DLF's centralized R&D division: elite plant genetics targeting yield, disease resistance, and drought tolerance, plus seed enhancement technologies under the 4Most brand for improved germination and performance. The product architecture is a multi-brand portfolio strategy rather than a single-label offering, with 13 registered sub-brands covering distinct species and end-uses.

La Crosse Seed generates revenue through one-time product sales across wholesale and retail channels. Distribution is executed via a state-level Regional Sales Manager network covering all 50 U.S. states, supplemented by retail and co-op channel partnerships and a Farm & Home direct-to-consumer channel. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. The go-to-market is sales-led, with accessible regional experts, on-time delivery, and industry-leading customer support positioned as the primary customer-facing differentiators. The company is privately held as a DLF division with no independent ownership structure or public listing.

Name

La Crosse Seed

Legal name

La Crosse Seed

Website

https://lacrosseseed.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1919

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

La Crosse Seed is the U.S. distribution division of Denmark-based DLF, selling forage, turf, cover crop, food plot, native, and reclamation seeds under 13+ sub-brands to retailers, co-ops, municipalities, landscapers, farmers, and homeowners across all 50 U.S. states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Seed Distribution

NAICS

Nursery, Garden Center, and Farm Supply Retailers (44424)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Forage & Pasture Seeds (Alfalfa, Clover, Ryegrass, Bermudagrass) (AFABAFAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Turf & Ornamental Seeds (Lawn, Golf, Landscaping) (AFABAFAG)

Keywords

• Forage seed distribution
• Turf grass seeds
• Cover crop seeds
• Wildlife food plot seeds
• Native grass seeds

Headquarters

HQ city

La Crosse

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Seed Distribution (Wholesale & Retail): La Crosse Seed operates as a distribution division of DLF, selling seed products across multiple channels including retailers, co-ops, municipalities, landscapers, property managers, farmers, and homeowners. Revenue is generated through one-time product sales of forage, turf, cover crop, food plot, native, and reclamation seeds.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

La Crosse Seed distributes a multi-brand portfolio of non-row crop seeds across four primary categories: Forage (grasses, legumes, alfalfa), Turf (professional and residential), Wildlife & Conservation (cover crops, food plots, native seeds), and Farm & Home products. It sells wholesale through retailers, co-ops, municipalities, landscapers, property managers, and farmers, and directly to homeowners through its Farm & Home channel, serving customers across the United States.

Product overview

La Crosse Seed, a DLF Division, operates as a seed distribution company offering a multi-brand portfolio across four main product categories: Forage (grasses, legumes, alfalfa), Turf (professional and residential lawn seeds), Wildlife & Conservation (cover crops, food plots, native seeds), and Farm & Home products. The portfolio includes both proprietary brands (Forage First, Alforex, Earth Carpet, Soil First) and sub-brands (5 Series, Summer Select, 4turf, A-LIST, Microclover, Deer Creek Seed, X-Seed, ForageMax, Mastergreen, 4Most), covering species such as Alfalfa, Orchardgrass, Tall Fescue, Red Clover, Kentucky Bluegrass, Fine Fescue, Perennial Ryegrass, and various cover crop species. The company serves retailers, co-ops, municipalities, landscapers, property managers, farmers, and homeowners across the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Forage First: Forage grasses and legumes brand offering yield, persistence, disease resistance and grazing tolerance
• Alforex
• Soil First
• Earth Carpet
• 5 Series
• Summer Select
• 4turf
• A-LIST
• Microclover
• Deer Creek Seed
• X-Seed
• ForageMax
• Mastergreen
• 4Most

Products and services

• Forage First Forage grass and legume seed brand designed to deliver yield, persistence, disease resistance, and grazing tolerance for livestock and farming operations.
• Alforex Premium alfalfa seed brand featuring elite genetics and technologies, positioned as the preeminent alfalfa lineup for North America.
• 5 Series Forage seed brand offering high-performance grasses and legumes for agricultural applications.
• Summer Select Summer forage seed varieties selected for warm-season performance and agricultural productivity.
• Earth Carpet Turf seed mixes and blends delivering premium turf for a wide range of projects and conditions, backed by cutting-edge genetics with improved disease resistance and drought tolerance.
• 4turf Turf grass seed products featuring advanced genetics for professional turf applications, with improved disease resistance and drought tolerance.
• A-LIST Turf seed brand featuring premium grass varieties for professional and residential turf applications.
• Microclover Compact clover variety used in turf applications for nitrogen fixation and lawn enhancement.
• Soil First Cover crop seed solutions designed to boost productivity, soil health, and conservation, including species such as Daikon/Tillage Radish, Winter Rye, Winter Triticale, and Forage Rapeseed.
• Deer Creek Seed Wildlife and conservation seed products for food plots, cover crops, and environmental stewardship applications, sold primarily through the Farm & Home channel.
• X-Seed Farm and home seed products for various agricultural and residential applications.
• ForageMax Forage seed brand offering varieties optimized for livestock feed and agricultural productivity in farm and home applications.
• Mastergreen Seed products for turf and agricultural applications sold under the Farm & Home category.
• 4Most Seed enhancement technology brand focused on advanced seed treatment and performance solutions to improve germination and stand establishment.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DLF (Dairyland Feed Laboratories / DLF Pickseed)coreOthersLa Crosse Seed is a division of DLF, a major international seed company. DLF is a global leader in seed research, development, and distribution with operations across multiple countries including Australia, Denmark, New Zealand, Sweden, Canada, France, Russia, United Kingdom, China, Ireland, South America, United States, Czech Republic, and Netherlands. La Crosse Seed operates as the divisional brand for DLF Distribution in the U.S.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Barenbrug USA: U.S. arm of Royal Barenbrug Group, a global forage, turf, and cover crop seed breeder and distributor. Directly comparable to La Crosse Seed in product categories (forage, turf, conservation) and channel strategy (ag retailers, professional turf, co-ops).
• Allied Seed: U.S. forage, turf, and native grass seed distributor serving the same ag retailer, co-op, and professional turf channels as La Crosse Seed, with overlapping species portfolios (alfalfa, cool-season grasses, cover crops).
• Mountain View Seeds: Pacific Northwest-based forage, turf, and reclamation seed company offering proprietary blends and dealer distribution — closely comparable to La Crosse Seed's wholesale forage/turf and reclamation categories.
• Pennington Seed: Long-established U.S. forage, turf, and wildlife food plot seed brand (Central Garden & Pet). Competes head-to-head with La Crosse Seed's Forage First, Alforex, and Deer Creek Seed lines across retail and farm channels.
• DLF Pickseed: DLF's Canadian forage and turf seed division, directly comparable to La Crosse Seed in product mix, brand structure, and distribution model. Serves as a near-twin peer given shared parent R&D and overlapping North American channel.
• Ampac Seed Company: U.S. proprietary seed company offering forage, turf, cover crop, and native seed mixes. Direct overlap with La Crosse Seed's core categories and dealer-distribution GTM motion.

Emerging players

• Grassland Oregon: U.S. cover crop, forage, and turf seed breeder-distributor with focus on novel species and mixes. Comparable to La Crosse Seed's Soil First cover crop and wildlife/conservation product lines, though smaller in scale.

Broad incumbents

• SiteOne Landscape Supply: Largest U.S. distributor of landscape supplies including turf seed, fertilizer, and erosion control products. Competes with La Crosse Seed's Earth Carpet, 4turf, and A-LIST turf brands in the professional landscape channel.
• Ewing Outdoor Supply: Major U.S. landscape and irrigation distributor carrying turf seed, erosion control, and native grass products. Overlaps with La Crosse Seed's turf and conservation seed distribution at the professional contractor level.
• Helena Agri-Enterprises: National agronomy distributor (Marubeni subsidiary) offering seed, fertilizer, and crop protection through ag retailers. Comparable to La Crosse Seed's distribution model and customer base, though broader in product mix.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/LaCrosseSeed
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@dlfnorthamerica485
• Facebookfacebook.com/dlfusa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dlf-north-america

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about La Crosse Seed